The gloomy weather in Jindu finally cleared up, and temperatures began to rise, but the lingering chill from the recent sudden drop in temperature meant that major hospitals were still packed.
When Yan Hui and Yan Sheng arrived at the waiting area, two people happened to stand up and leave. Yan Sheng rushed over to grab the seats, turned around, and called out to Yan Hui:
“Ba, cough, cough, cough! Over here, hurry!”
Yan Hui walked over and flicked him gently on the forehead. “I told you not to run in the hospital. Did you forget again?”
Yan Sheng rubbed his forehead with a grin, patted the seat, and spoke in a nasal tone because he was wearing a face mask and running a fever, “You sit!”
Yan Hui sighed helplessly and sat down. “Fine, I will sit. You have got plenty of energy now, is your throat not hurting anymore?”
He shouldn’t have asked. The moment he said it, Yan Sheng immediately felt uncomfortable all over and slumped his head onto Yan Hui’s shoulder. “It hurts.”
“If it hurts, stop bouncing around.” Yan Hui touched the back of Yan Sheng’s neck, felt sweat, and reached up to unzip his down jacket.
The hospital had central heating, and Yan Hui had already taken off his down jacket when he walked in, wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans like a college student who hadn’t graduated yet.
Yan Sheng wanted to take his off too, but Yan Hui wouldn’t let him.
He had said he wasn’t feeling well right after school yesterday, and shortly after getting home, he started running a fever. Even after taking fever-reducing medication, his temperature hadn’t dropped much, so Yan Hui didn’t dare let him put on or take off clothes at will.
Opening the jacket collar, Yan Hui touched Yan Sheng’s forehead again. Feeling it was still a bit warm, he frowned and looked at the pediatric calling display screen.
It just called number 10, and they were number 12. Almost time.
As he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang.
Yan Hui looked down and saw it was a call from the publishing house, so he had to instruct Yan Sheng, “I am going to take this call. Listen for your number, and if yours is called, go ahead first. I will be right over.”
Yan Sheng nodded, watching longingly as Yan Hui got up and walked away, when suddenly he heard someone talking: “You two look so close!”
Yan Sheng looked toward the sound and saw it was an auntie sitting next to him, so he politely thanked her, “Thank you, older sister.”
The woman was overjoyed at being called older sister, covered her mouth, and smiled. “You are welcome. How long have you two been together?”
Yan Sheng blinked in confusion. “We have been together ever since I was born.”
Hearing this, the smile on the woman’s face instantly froze.
She looked Yan Sheng up and down, seeing that his gaze was naive and innocent, then glanced at Yan Hui not far away making a phone call, and lowered her voice to ask, “Then, how old are you?”
Yan Sheng’s eyebrows curved. “I will be ten right after the Chinese New Year!”
This answer made the woman gasp, and the expressions of the people around them changed accordingly.
“The young fellow looks tall, big, clean, and bright, what a pity.”
“Looks like there is something wrong in the head, how could he possibly be only ten.”
“And him and that handsome guy, isn’t this illegal.”
Amidst the discussion, the woman moved closer to her son, eyeing Yan Hui and whispering urgently, “Give the phone to Mom, Mom is going to call Uncle Police! Hurry up!”
Just then, the loudspeaker rang out.
“Please go to Pediatric Consultation Room No. 5, number 12 Yan Sheng. Please go to Pediatric Consultation Room No. 5, number 12 Yan Sheng.”
Yan Sheng stood up abruptly, walked into the consultation room, and just as he was about to sit down, he heard the doctor ask, “Where is the child? Bring him in.”
Yan Sheng instantly beamed with joy, ran out of the consultation room, opened his arms toward Yan Hui, and shouted hoarsely, “Dad! The doctor told you to carry me in!”
As soon as these words came out, it shocked everyone present. After a brief silence, gasps of astonishment rose one after another.
“Holy shit! He really is ten!”
“This kid looks about as tall as my husband!”
“Is that his dad? He looks so handsome.”
Yan Hui felt pins and needles all over from being stared at by the onlookers, and he glared at Yan Sheng. “Carry you my ass! Look at how big you are, get in there!”
“Oh.” Yan Sheng instantly wilted, hanging his head as he followed Yan Hui into the consultation room.
Behind the two of them, the woman awkwardly handed her phone back to her son and muttered under her breath, “What did they feed him to grow this tall at just ten!”
Inside the consultation room, the doctor uttered the exact same question.
“He is not even ten yet and he is already 1.7 meters tall. Won’t he grow to 1.8 or 1.9 meters by the time he is thirteen or fourteen? Have you checked his bone age and hormones?”
Yan Hui nodded. “Checked. The doctor said it is early bone development caused by genetics.”
“Genetics.” The doctor looked Yan Hui up and down, and after a moment, asked the ultimate question, “How tall is the child’s mother?”
Yan Hui glanced at his son, whose eyes were full of curiosity, and vaguely replied, “About 1.8 meters.”
That person was 1.9 meters tall when they parted ways, but of course, there were times when they were 1.8 meters, so it was not a lie.
“Whoa, a model?” The doctor exclaimed, “No wonder the child grew up so tall. It is nothing major, his fever is already going down, and the reason the medicine did not seem effective is because it was children’s fever medicine. Given his height and weight, he needs to take adult doses. Do you have Advil at home?”
“Yes.” Yan Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Yan Sheng lowering his head and chuckling, he reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “What are you giggling about?”
“Doctor Brother said I am an adult.” Yan Sheng puffed out his chest, but the next second couldn’t help coughing and shrank back down.
“Brother, my foot! You should call me Uncle!” Having said that, the doctor was clearly pleased, his eyes smiling into slits.
Yan Sheng: “Dad said anyone older than me has to be called older brother or older sister.”
Doctor: “Why is that?”
Yan Sheng: “Because I am too tall. Calling people uncle or auntie will make them angry.”
The doctor laughed. “Well, that is true. Alright, go pay and get your medicine.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Yan Hui patted Yan Sheng. “Sheng-sheng, say goodbye to the doctor.”
Yan Sheng stood up and waved cheerfully. “Thank you, Doctor Brother, goodbye!”
The doctor was amused once more. “Alright, goodbye to you too.”
Walking out of the consultation room, Yan Sheng looked at Yan Hui with blinking eyes and asked, “Dad, is Mom really 1.8 meters tall?”
Here it comes! The hundred questions about Mom!
Yan Hui secretly took a breath. “Yes.”
Yan Sheng: “Taller than you?”
Yan Hui: “Mm.”
Yan Sheng: “Is Mom a model?”
Yan Hui: “No.”
Yan Sheng: “Then what does Mom do?”
Yan Hui really wanted to answer that he did not know, but pathetically, he had only seen that person’s name yesterday and had promised Yan Sheng never to lie.
Fortunately, although Yan Sheng looked like an adult, his actual age was only nine.
“Sheng-sheng,” Yan Hui asked leisurely, “Do you want to eat McDonald’s?”
No kid could turn down McDonald’s, not even a 1.7-meter elementary school student.
“Yes!” Yan Sheng instantly forgot the hundred questions about Mom and asked excitedly, “Can I have French fries?”
Yan Hui nodded. “Of course.”
Yan Sheng: “What about cola?”
Yan Hui: “You can have a small cup without ice.”
Yan Sheng: “Then, can I have ice cream?”
Yan Hui: “That is enough, Yan Sheng-sheng. Don’t push your luck.”
“Oh,” Yan Sheng replied dully, but quickly cheered up again.
He could not have ice cream, but being able to eat fries and drink cola was already great!
A child’s happiness was just that simple. Yan Hui hugged Yan Hui’s arm and asked with bright eyes, “Dad, when are we going to eat McDonald’s?”
“This weekend, not today. You are still running a fever and shouldn’t eat anything too greasy.”
Yan Hui mentally gave himself a thumbs-up. Allowing Yan Sheng to half-hang off him, he took him to pay, pick up the medicine, and then walked through the hospital lobby toward the parking lot.
Suddenly.
“Yan Hui!”
A voice that he would recall in his midnight dreams came from behind, like a sharp sword piercing Yan Hui’s body and pinning him fiercely to the ground.
So he could no longer take a step forward, and could only turn around in a daze, watching the flamboyant and unrestrained youth from his memories cross ten years of time and walk swiftly toward him in the guise of a mature, steady, and unfamiliar stranger.
“Yu Xiang,” Yan Hui looked at the man in front of him in a trance.
He seemed to have grown a bit taller, and his shoulders were a few inches broader than when he was young. He wore a suit and overcoat that felt out of place with the surroundings, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and his jawline taut.
Only the nameless emotions burning in his gaze locked firmly onto Yan Hui, giving him the illusion that his five senses were fading and he was being invaded and swallowed whole.
Until a man and a woman rushed over, breaking into the scene.
“Young President Yu, your hand!”
“Nurse! Nurse!”
The exclamation shattered the illusion, and Yan Hui subconsciously lowered his gaze to look at Yu Xiang’s hand, but Yu Xiang quickly covered the back of his hand, his voice hoarse: “I am fine, no need to call a nurse.”
As he spoke, his eyes stared unblinkingly at Yan Hui, making Yan Hui’s gaze drift and wander about.
After all, ten years ago, not only did he get Yu Xiang drunk, he also used drugs.
Thinking of that dizzying and crazy night, Yan Hui felt both guilty and terrified, wanting to run away yet reluctant to leave.
Until he heard Yan Sheng whispering:
“Dad, who is he?”
Yan Hui’s fingertips trembled slightly, and he suddenly remembered that the product of that night was right beside him, standing a mere meter away from his biological father!
Yan Hui snapped back to reality, quickly pulled Yan Sheng a few steps away, turned his back to Yu Xiang, and whispered instructions: “Sheng-sheng, go wait by the door for Dad. Don’t run around, and zip up your down jacket.”
“Oh,” Yan Sheng obediently acknowledged, glanced back at Yu Xiang, and walked toward the hospital’s side door leading to the parking lot.
A transparent curtain hung there; it was not very warm, but as long as they did not go outside, the cold wind would not blow on them.
Yan Hui watched Yan Sheng walk up to the curtain, zip up his jacket, and put his hands in his pockets, watching him from afar.
As well-behaved and sensible as ever.
“Who is he?”
A low, hoarse voice sounded right above his head. Yan Hui’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned around in a panic.
Yu Xiang had walked over at some point and was standing extremely close. Yan Hui could even smell the faint scent of perfume on him.
A woody fragrance mixed with a bit of ambergris, as steady and restrained as the impression he gave people now.
A piece of medical tape was pasted on the back of his left hand, and his right hand had an IV drip going. An IV pole stood nearby, and the man and woman were standing not far away, looking at them with worried expressions.
Yan Hui stammered, not knowing how to answer, but his hanging heart temporarily settled down.
Seeing that he had not answered for a long time, Yu Xiang lowered his eyelids, concealing the dark emotions deep in his eyes. “Sorry, I just wanted to know how you have been all these years.”
Yan Hui was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “I have been doing great. How about you?”
Yu Xiang was silent for a moment. “Not bad, I have just been looking for you all this time.”
Hearing this, Yan Hui’s heart, which had just begun to calm down, started hammering wildly again.
“What are you looking for me for.” That drug was just an enhancer; it should not have any side effects, right?
Yu Xiang: “Back then at the club, I said a lot of hurtful things. I have always wanted to apologize to you in person.”
“Ah, you mean that thing,” Yan Hui breathed a sigh of relief. “How many years ago was that? Why are you still dwelling on it? Let bygones be bygones, alright?”
Yu Xiang stared intently at Yan Hui, and after a good while, nodded. “Alright. Can I add you on WeChat?”
“Of course.” Yan Hui took out his phone and added Yu Xiang. Looking at the WeChat name and profile picture that were identical to ten years ago, he raised his head in surprise. “You have never changed your account?”
Yu Xiang let out an “mm.” His gaze swept past Yan Hui’s WeChat profile picture and landed on the male figure in the distance. “He is looking at you.”
Hearing this, Yan Hui turned around to look. Yan Sheng was eagerly peering over in their direction.
Seeing him turn back, the child’s shoulders visibly slumped. Even though the face mask hid his expression, Yan Hui knew he must be looking completely exasperated, probably muttering under his breath: “How much longer.”
Yan Hui’s heart softened, and he smiled and shook his head. “It is fine, kids do not have much patience.”
Yu Xiang looked at the soft smile on his face, one he had never seen before, clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers dug deep into his palms, and finally said in a hoarse voice:
“Then you should hurry over. Don’t keep your boyfriend waiting too long.”
Yan Hui was about to say that wasn’t it, when he suddenly felt something was off.
Huh? Boyfriend? Who?